Anniversary of Oil Rig Fire Marked by Strike

LONDON — Thousands of British oil workers halted work Thursday on the first anniversary of the fire aboard Piper Alpha oil rig in the North Sea that killed 167 men.

Nearly 7,000 oil rig workers halted production and stayed away from work in memory of the victims of last year's tragedy, after striking since Sunday to protest the lack of new safety measures, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers said.

Workers warned more strikes may follow if more safety precautions are not implemented. The rig went up in flames 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland, after an explosion in the main gas compressor set off a chain of blasts aboard the offshore drilling platform.